In his ambitious plan, he selected the hill of Bakheng as the centre of the new city of Yasodharapura, and as the site of his state temple, first levelling the top. Surrounding the hill, the earth banks of the city limits were 4 km on each side, and traces remain today on the S and W. In addition, Yasovarman built the East Baray, a great reservoir more than 7 km long and almost 2 km wide. Earlier in 893, he had built the Lolei temple in the middle of the Indratatak and the temples of Phnom Krom and Phnom Bok were possible built by him. He died in 910. His two sons, Harshavarman I and Isanavarman II, continued the dynasty, but on the death of the latter, around 928, the capital abruptly moved to Koh Ker, some 100 kilometers to the NE. The background to this is obscure, but there was a change in the royal succession, and the throne went to Jayavarman IV for at least seven years. He probably owed allegiance to the Angkor kings, and it is not known how he took the throne. Nevertheless, the scale of the brick temple of Prasat Thorn that he had built at Koh Ker shows that he was rich and powerful. Having started a considerable building programme there, he clearly decided to continue and make it his capital. Many smaller temples were added, and a baray, all in the short space of 20 years until the capital reverted to Angkor. The state temple was a seven-storey sandstone pyramid, 35m high. On his death, Jayavarman IV was succeeded, briefly, by his son Harshavarman II, although an inscription makes it clear that this was not the father's choice. Moreover, the succession was contested, and after a reign of only three years, Harshavarman met what was probably a violent end. He was succeeded, in 944, by his cousin Rajendra-varman, king of the old kingdom of Bhavapura. He had, in fact, helped Harshavarman II in his bid for power and, after the latter's death, decided to seize power for himself. Rajendravarman took the capital back to Angkor, but not to the city that Yasovarman had created around the Bakheng. Instead, he placed his state temple and palace some kilometres to the E, on the S bank of the great East Baray. Pre Rup (961) was the state temple, and another major construction was the 'island' temple of East Mebon (953) in the middle of the baray. These temples were overseen by his chief architect Kavindrarimathana, who built for himself Bat Chum and Srah Srang. Other constructions in the same general area include Kutisvara. At the same time, Rajendravarman strengthened his grip by declaring former "kingdoms' under his rule to be 'provinces'. He also expanded his empire, reconquering the lands ruled by Yasovarman I, and even sending an expeditionary force to fight the Chams in the coastal areas of what is now central Vietnam. Violent rivalry between the Khmers and the Chams had been continuing for some time. After Rajendravarman's death in 968, his son Jayavarman V succeeded to the throne, moving the capital slighty to the W to a more defensible location. Calling it Jayendranagari, he had a new state temple built at its centre - Ta Keo. At this time, his priest and mentor Yajfiavaraha built the exquisite small temple of Banteay Srei, which was dedicated in the last year of Rajendravarman's life. Jayavarman V's reign, which lasted three decades, began with armed struggle to quell rebellions, but eventually settled down to be relatively peaceful. Jayavarman was succeeded by Udayadityavarman I, who ruled for only a few months, after which there was a nine-year war between Jayaviravarman and Suryavarman I, both pretending to have been consecrated in 1002. The war ended around 1010 with the final victory of Suryavarman I. This king built the Royal Palace at Angkor Thorn and, most probably, a new reservoir, the West Baray, measuring 8km x 2km and still in use. He was succeeded by his son, Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066), who built the Bapuon, a spectacular temple-mountain, and the West Mebon in the middle of the West Baray. His younger brother Harshavarman III (1066-about 1080) was the last of this dynasty; the throne then changed hands to a line of kings who came from the Khorat Plateau in present-day Thailand. After two reigns (Jayavarman VI and Dharanindravarman, both brothers), a grandnephew seized power - Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat and commander of many military campaigns to expand the empire. His rule, from 1112 to about 1150, marks the peak of Angkor's power and influence. Thereafter, there were increasing revolts in the provinces. There were both alliances and conflicts between some Khmer and Cham princes, rendering the political situation very confused. In 1165 the throne was taken by a usurper, Tribhuvanadityavarman, who was killed 12 years later when a Cham and Khmer group mounted a surprise naval attack from the Great Lake and took Angkor.

Bakong is the first official state temple constructed at Angkor. It was completed in 881 by King Indravarman I, some 75 years after the foundation of the Khmer empire. Bakong is located in an area approximately 15 kilometers southeast of Siem Reap that today is alled "Roluos." At the time of its foundation, the temple of Bakong belonged to the Khmer capital city of Hariharalaya, and functioned as an official state temple. A few years after the its foundation, however, King Yasovarman I moved the capital of the empire to the area north of Siem Reap that is today called Angkor Thom, where he founded a new capital city called Yasodharapura. Bakong is a temple pyramid constructed of grey stone and originally dedicated to Shiva. Eight reddish brick temple towers were built around the pyramid. The tower atop the pyramid was added much later, probably in the 12th century. Its style is that of the 12th century temple Angkor Wat. Bakong is the largest of a group of three temples that today comprise what is called the "Roluos Group:" the others are Preah Ko and Lolei, both of which feature red brick temple towers similar to those of the Bakong but have no pyramid. All three temples date from the second half of the 9th century, and all three originally belonged to the Khmer capital of Hariharalaya. This video is about the temple, with an emphasis on the beautiful sculpted lintels that can be observed on the brick towers. The music is "Kama Phal" by Naked Planet. http://angkorblog.com

大吳哥城是由一一八一年登基的加亞華爾曼七世(JayavarmanⅦ)所建，這位國王是一位虔誠信奉佛教的國王，他所留下的吳哥都城遺址緊臨著小吳哥，是一處被長達十二公里城池所包圍的城市。在進入都城前，遠遠便會見到高及七公尺的大石城門上頭，四面都刻著加亞華爾曼七世(JayavarmanⅦ)的面容，唯與印度教不同的是，此乃象徵眼觀四面，耳聽八方的佛菩薩。在吳哥都城中央，仍依須彌聖山觀念建立起壯觀的巴戎寺(Bayon)，其最特殊的設計，是每一座塔的四面，都刻有三公尺高的加亞華爾曼七世(JayavarmanⅦ)微笑面容。 　　兩百多個微笑浮現在囪綠的森林中，多變的光線或正或側，時強時弱的探照，樹草中的蟲鳥此起彼落的交織輪唱，好似一個設計新穎的聲光舞台秀，軒昂的眉宇、中穩的鼻樑、熱情的厚唇、慈祥的氣質，國王的微笑反而勝過建築本身的宏偉，而成為旅客最深的印象，無怪會被其後代子孫尊稱為「高棉的微笑」。 大吳哥城-城的周圍環繞12公里護城牆,整個吳哥城的中心就是巴戎廟。 巴戎廟-又稱「高棉微笑」,四周滿佈各式各樣不同的微笑佛面,栩栩如生之雕刻,令人嘆為觀止。 ... Angkor Thom was established as the capital of Jayavarman VII's empire, and was the centre of his massive building programme. One inscription found in the city refers to Jayavarman as the groom and the city as his bride. (Higham, 121) It was not the first Khmer capital on the site, however. Yasodharapura, dating from three centuries earlier, was centred slightly further northwest, and Angkor Thom overlapped parts of it. The most notable earlier temples within the city are the former state temple of Baphuon, and Phimeanakas, which was incorporated into the Royal Palace. The Khmers did not draw any clear distinctions between Angkor Thom and Yashodharapura: even in the fourteenth century an inscription used the earlier name. (Higham 138) The name of Angkor Thom — great city — was in use from the 16th century.